Saddle fixing for thermionic valve holders and other electrical components



Jan. 31, 195 8 s. T. DEAKIN 2,495,338

' SADDLE FIXING FOR THERMIONIC VALVE HOLDERS AND OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS Filed July 6, 1945 INVENTOR 5;a/7/ey 7/20/7755 095%? Patented Jan. 31, 1950 SADDLE RIXING; EBB THERMIONIQ ALVE, HOLDERS AND Y OHHERWEDEGTRIGAL COM- Stanley Thomas Deakin, Ewell West, England; assignor to British Mechanical Productions- Limited-,zl2eatherhead, England;aBritishicom Application July 6; 1945,?SrialNo. 603520? In'Great'Bfltain April 17', 1944 3 Claims-:1 (Cl. 157 39-339 This invention relates to saddle fixings for thermionic valve holders andother eleetricalcoma ponents.

The invention is particularly (but not "exclusively) concerned'with thermionic'valve holders of the-typecomprising an insulating barrel providing at one end a number of socketsto receive the contact pins ofthe valveand'at the other end a corresponding number of tags or equivalent terminal elements to take thecircuit w-iring 'connections. For the purpose of secur ing the valve holder in position. e.g;- to=the ohassis of awireless set, it is customaryto-provide thebarrel at a position intermediate-in'its depth; withan attached flange-forming:- plate or saddle usually of metalin which apertures are'forme'd to receive fixing screws'or bolts; Ittis -desirable that the holder should be capahleof being presented through the hole-in the chas'si's==panel= or equivalent fixture from either sideof the panel; i; e. with-thesaddle disposed to oneiside or 'the other of; the panel, and-:moreover that-the=loarrel should have the same circumferential dimension oneach side of the-saddle. To: meet these requirements it has-previously; beenxpro posed to embed-the;saddle; as,an insert, in the material of the insulating; barreli during, 'the moulding of the latter. There: are, however; manufacturing, difficulties in connection with such an assembly and it vis, not appl cable where the barrel is made of certain materialsucl as ceramics because the metal of the saddles would fuse under the high temperature-,-conditionsum der'whicn ceramic moulding is'necessari-ly'care ried out;

An object of the present invention: isatoiproe vide an improved methodof securinga saddle to an insulating barrelv having a substantially uniform circumferential dimension, throughout its depth.

According to the invention an electrical some ponent (e. g. a thermionic, valve; holder) ofzthe type comprising an insulating:barrel an,d;,an tached flange-forming plate or saddle havingsan aperture in which-the barrelisalocated; isncha're azcterised in that the saddle-is: securedito-the barrel by means of twotongues (ory'two setsstof tongues) which project inwardly fromthepe riphery of the locating-aperture -in-;the-'-saddle at circumferentially. spaced intervals andi'ar e adapted to engage respectively two internal ledges (or two sets of -ledges).formedin'theci'r cumferential wall of the barrel, one-tong ueg (or set of. tongues) preventing movement Offtlld, saddle in one directionalong-the barrel and-"the 2% other tongue (or set-10f tongues) preventing movement: of the: saddle in the opposite directionalon'g the-barrel;

The inventio'rrincludes an electrical component iii-which onersaddle; tongue (orset of tongues) is permanently-win theigeneral plane of i the saddle, and; inorder tmpermit-assembly, the other saddle tongue (or set of tongues) is initially-bent back at right=angles-;to the plane aforesaid, being subse quently'bent-overinto that, plane, to engage the co-operating barrel ledge" (01": set of ledges), Theinventionialso includes anelectrical come ponent: inwhich onev saddle tongue (or: each. of aris'et; of 'saddle;tongues.).-is in'the formof a fork extending at rightranglesto the general. plane of the saddle: and: having. its prongs splayed apartztoengage: atcoeoper-atingledge in the bar- 1'6 Two eXamnlesembodyingthe invention as ap plieditothermionic valve holders willnow be described; with, reierenca to the accompanying drawings which :are to some extent diagrammatic and in whiohz:

Figure, Lisa perspective view. ofv the saddle,

Y prior-Ito. assembly, used in the firstrexample;

Figures}. and 3 arepe-rspective views looking onoppositesides respectively, oi a. valve holder with assembled saddleaccordingto the first ex-. p fiiv Eigure..4 is, a...per'spective view of the saddle; priorjto,.-assembly, used in thesecond example;

Figure 5 is a,perspective,,-view, of the barrel of the, valve holder according to the second eX-. am le, theQBJssfiIflbliedgsaddle being shown in dotted .llines, and

Figure 6fisja side elevation orthe-saddle in the form it'm'ay take before assembly.

. In the first example (Figures 1; Zand 3) the valve holder comprises an insulating barrel iii formedwith aeircular seriesoi apertures 11 which'a'ccommodatesingle piece metal contact elements providing-atone end- 92 of the barrel (hereinafter referred to as the top) sockets 13 torecei-vethe-c0ntactpins-of the valve zo;and at-the other end l4 (hereinafter referred to as"the bottom) tags I fi totake the circuit wiring connections. The *barrel" IE! is formed with four-groovesdii (hereinafter referred to as the fitted tongue-'- grooves extending parallel with the axis of the-barrel inwardly-from the bottom ll4-i'to positionsshort of the'top 52, the grooves e ten-1g spaced apart 'cireumferentiaily at ;:'equal ji'ntervalse Atthe-periphery of a; central cut out fl in a saddiezplate-lii-(provided with fixing=screw apertures l 9)--four tongues 20 (herewith the barrel axis to positions short of the bot tom I4 of the barrel where the grooves are stepped down in width to form short narrow-width slots corresponding barrel grooves 3|.

22 which are cont nued out to the bottom of the barrel. Each of the hinged tongue grooves 2! is located equidistantly between two of the fixed tongue grooves l6. tral cut-out l1 the saddle I8 is also formed with four tongues 23 (hereinafter referred to as the hinged tongues) arranged to extend into th central cut-out in a direction substantially at rightangles to the general plane of the saddle. Each of the hinged tongues 23 is located equidistantly between two of the fixed saddle tongues 20. Each hinged tongue 23 is split longitudinally to form a fork, the overall width of which is initially slightly less than the width of the continuation slot portions 22 of the hinged tongue grooves 2| in the barrel.

To assemble the saddle IS the latter is threaded on to the barrel with the fixed tongues rid ng in the co-operating saddle grooves 2 l, The saddle is pressed inwardly to the limit of its travel, that is until the fixed saddle tongues 20 are in abutment with the ledges formed at the ends of the corresponding barrel grooves I 6. In this position of the saddle the hinged tongues 23 extend in a direction towards the bottom 14 of the barrel, the short continuation slots 22 of the hinged tongue grooves having permitted passage of the hinged tongues along the barrel. In order to lock the saddle in position the forked arms of each hinged tongue 23 are splayed, by any suitable tool, so as to engage the ledges formed at the step in the width of the hinged tongue groove.

While in the foregoing example there are four fixed tongues and four hinged tongues co-operat ing with corresponding numbers of barrel grooves, it is to be understood that there may be any desired number of tongues and grooves in each set, the barrel grooves being located at convenient positions in relation to the contact sockets.

In carrying out the foregoing example the hinged tongues of the saddle may be so arranged that by virtue of their natural springiness they will spring into engagement with their co-operating barrel ledges. i. e. without necessitating the use of the expanding tool.

In the second example the peripheral wall of an insulating barrel 30 is formed at locations displaced circumferentially with two sets of grooves 31, 32 extending parallel with the axis of the barrel inwardly from opposite ends of it respectively and terminating intermediate in the depth of the barrel at positions such that the inner ends of the grooves 3| extend beyond the inner ends of the grooves 32 by an amount substantially equal to the thickness of the saddle plate 33 which is to be attached to the barrel. At the periphery of the central cut-out 34 in the saddle two sets of tongues 35, 36 are provided for engagement respectively in the grooves 3|, 32 in the barrel. To permit assembly, the tongues 36 on the saddle, conveniently referred to as t hinged tongues, are initially bent back topo i.

At the periphery of the conof these grooves.

tions at right-angles to the general plane of the saddle (as shown in Figure 4) The other tongues 35, conveniently referred to as the fixed tongues, are permanently in the general plane of the saddle, projecting into the central cut-out 34. To assemble the saddle 33 the latter is threaded on to the barrel 30 with the fixed tongues 35 riding in the co-operating saddle grooves 3 l. The saddle is pressed inwardly to the limit of its travel, that is until the fixed saddle tongues 35 are in abutment with the ledges formed at the ends of the When in this position the hinged saddle tongues 35 are bent 1 over into the co-operating barrel grooves 32 and on to abutment with the ledges at the inner ends In principle the saddle may be clamped by means of one fixed and one hinged tongue and two co-operating barrel grooves. In

practice, however, in order to obtain a secure fixing, it is desirable to employ two sets of fixed and hinged tongues and corresponding sets of grooves extending inwardly from opposite ends respectively of the barrel, the grooves beng located at convenient positions between the electrodes (some of which are indicated at 40 in Figure 5). If desired, the saddle plate may be originally dished, as shown in Figure 6, being bent back flat on assembly. By this means it is possible to take up the tolerance which would necessarily have to be provided in the tongue-andgroove engagement where the barrel is made of ceramic material.

The term barrel" as used herein is intended to cover any insulating body, cylindrical, rectangular or of other convenient shape. to which a saddle is to be attached. While the invention is of particular applicability to holders made of ceramic material, it is to be understood that the barrel may be of any desired insulating material, e. g. a synthetic resin moulding.

It is within the invention to employ an arrangement of co-operating saddle tongues and barrel ledges which requires partial rotation of the saddle in relation to the barrel to effect the anchoring of the saddle. It is also to be understood that a securing tongue may be formed, after location of the saddle in the barrel, by upsetting or otherwise deforming a portion of the material of the saddle to constitute a tongue-like part engaging a co-operating ledge or similar abutment on the barrel.

I claim:

1. A thermionic valve holder comprising an insulating barrel, contacts supported on the barrel, and an attachment saddle consisting of a substantially fiat plate surrounding the barrel and secured to the barrel intermediate in the length thereof by two sets of spaced tongues of which the tongues of at least one set are upstanding from one face of the plate and are so bent that their ends engage ledges formed in the circumferential wall of the barrel on one side of the saddle to prevent movement of the saddle along the barrel in the direction of that side and of which the tongues of the other set engage ledges in the barrel to prevent movement of the saddle along the barrel in the other direction, the barrel having the same circumferential dimension on each side of the saddle, and the upstanding tongues aforesaid being each of twopronged construction splayed apart at their ends to engage the ledges on the barrel as aforesaid;

2. A thermionic valve holder comprising in combination an insulating contact-supporting barrel made in a single piece and having a substantially uniform circumferential dimension throughout its depth and an attachment saddle in the form of a substantially fiat plate provided with a central aperture for the reception of the barrel and secured thereto intermediate in the depth thereof by interlocking devices consisting of two sets of axially parallel grooves, with those of one set alternating with those of the other, recessed in the peripheral wall of the barrel at circumferential intervals from opposite ends respectively of the barrel and terminating in ledges intermediate in the depth of the barrel at positions such that the inner ledge-forming ends of the grooves of one set lie on one side of the saddle plate and extend beyond the inner ledge-forming ends of the grooves of the other set, which latter ends lie on the opposite side of the saddle and two sets of circumferentially spaced tongues formed integrally with the saddle at the aforesaid aperture therein to extend inwardly from the perimeter thereof into engagement with the ledge-forming ends of the aforesaid two sets of grooves in the barrel, the arrangement being such that one set of tongues and their associated barrel ledges prevent movement of the saddle in one direction along the barrel, while the other set of tongues and their associated barrel ledges prevent movement of the saddle in the opposite direction along the barrel.

3. A thermionic valve holder according to and extending inwardly claim 2 in which the inner ledge-forming ends of the grooves of one set extend beyond the inner ledge-forming ends of the grooves of the other set by an amount substantially equal to the thickness of the saddle, and in which one set of tongues is permanently in the plane of the saddle plate and, in order to permit assembly of the holder, the tongues of the other set are, before assembly, upstanding from the plane of the plate and after assembly of the saddle and the barrel are bent down into the plane or the plate to engage the co-operating barrel ledges.

STANLEY THOMAS DEAKIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,809,864 Pearson June 16, 1931 2,082,994 Wallbillich June 8, 1937 2,088,322 Henning July 27, 193'? 2,205,051 Schmitt June 18, 1940 2,234,659 Sutter Mar. 11, 1941 2,235,207 Eby Mar. 18, 1941 2,291,001 Smith July 28, 1942 2,352,126 Schmitt June 20, 194A 

